BOXING : Manny Pacquiao may fight Yuri Foreman before taking on Floyd Mayweather Jr, trainer Freddie Roach has revealed.
Manny Pacquiao may fight Yuri Foreman before taking on Floyd Mayweather Jr, trainer Freddie Roach has revealed.
A super-fight appears to be on the cards next year between Pacquiao, the world’s best pound-for-pound boxer, and Mayweather, the undefeated American who recently returned to the ring from retirement. Negotiations to make the fight are under way, but Roach is weighing up the option of first pitting Pacquiao against Foreman who currently holds the WBA light-middleweight belt.
“We want to fight in March and we don’t really want to wait,” Roach told Press Association Sport. “Mayweather doesn’t want to fight in March, so we might fight for the 154 pound title in March and move up for that eighth world title.”
He added: “I’m thinking about that still and it’s something that I’m kicking around in my head right now.
“Yuri Foreman might be the opponent. It is a possibility, and then Mayweather in September. If they guarantee me that, we’ll do that, but I need more of a commitment from Mayweather because he’s not negotiating too well.
“It has to happen, and with the money they are going to make out of it, I feel it will happen. Mayweather can’t make that money with anybody else.”
Roach is fully confident Pacquiao’s aggression will triumph over Mayweather’s defensive skills in what is set to be the biggest bout of the decade.
“Offence wins fights. He (Mayweather) has a great defence, you don’t score points with defence,” Roach said. “I have a good game-plan for Mayweather. I have studied him hard and I know him pretty well.
“He’s very difficult and he gives us problems but I think we can get to him. We can match his speed and our footwork is a little better than his so I think we can excel in those spots. Obviously it’s a tough fight but I think we can get to him and break him down.”
